British Nationality

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizenship ceremonies have taken place in Northern Ireland since their introduction; and how many people who have become British citizens have had such a ceremony, broken down by nationality of origin, in each case.

Liam Byrne: Citizenship ceremonies were introduced on 1 January 2004. Between that date and 25 February 2007, 628 people have attended a citizenship ceremony in Northern Ireland and have become British citizens. The figures, broken down by nationality of origin, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 India 70 
			 Philippines 62 
			 China (Peoples Republic of China) 49 
			 South Africa 38 
			 British National (Overseas) 28 
			 United States of America 20 
			 Korea (South) 19 
			 Turkey 19 
			 Pakistan 18 
			 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 16 
			 Russia 16 
			 Thailand 16 
			 Australia 15 
			 Canada 13 
			 Bangladesh 11 
			 Zimbabwe 11 
			 Iran 10 
			 Ireland 10 
			 British Subject 9 
			 Malaysia 9 
			 Romania 9 
			 Sudan 8 
			 Algeria 7 
			 New Zealand 7 
			 Nigeria 7 
			 Sri Lanka 7 
			 Belarus 5 
			 Bulgaria 5 
			 Colombia 5 
			 Egypt 5 
			 Morocco 5 
			 Albania 4 
			 Ghana 4 
			 Jordan 4 
			 Kenya 4 
			 Libya (Arab Republic) 4 
			 Nepal 4 
			 Taiwan 4 
			 Tanzania 4 
			 British Overseas Citizen 3 
			 Guyana 3 
			 Poland 3 
			 Portugal 3 
			 Vietnam 3 
			 Unknown 2 
			 Afghanistan 2 
			 Argentina 2 
			 Brazil 2 
			 Ecuador 2 
			 Germany 2 
			 Greece 2 
			 Hong Kong SAR of China(1) 2 
			 Israel 2 
			 Kazakhstan 2 
			 Mexico 2 
			 Myanmar (Burma) 2 
			 Syria 2 
			 Ukraine 2 
			 Azerbaijan 1 
			 Bahrain 1 
			 Bolivia 1 
			 Cambodia (Kampuchea) 1 
			 France 1 
			 Honduras 1 
			 Hong Kong SAR of China(2) 1 
			 Hungary 1 
			 Indonesia 1 
			 Iraq 1 
			 Italy 1 
			 Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire) 1 
			 Jamaica 1 
			 Kosovo 1 
			 Latvia 1 
			 Malawi 1 
			 Moldova 1 
			 Montenegro 1 
			 Peru 1 
			 Singapore 1 
			 Somalia 1 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 1 
			 Tunisia 1 
			 Zambia 1 
			 (1) Holder of special administrative region passport (2) Holder of certificate of identify or document of identity

Discretionary Compensation Scheme

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department pays insurance premiums to cover payments made from the Discretionary Compensation Scheme.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not pay insurance premiums to cover payments made from the discretionary compensation scheme for miscarriages of justice. That scheme was abolished by the then Secretary of State(Charles Clarke), 19 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 15-17W. The decision to abolish the scheme is currently subject to Judicial Review.

Identity Cards: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Irish nationals living in Northern Ireland will be required to carry a UK identity national card once they are introduced.

Joan Ryan: Under Section 13(3) of the Identity Cards Act 2006, there is no authorisation to make any regulations that would require anyone to carry an identity card with them at all times once they are introduced.
	The Belfast (Good Friday Agreement) confirmed that all the peoples of Northern Ireland had the right to identify themselves as Irish, British or both, as they chose.
	As such, those Irish nationals who wish to identify as a dual national may choose to obtain a British passport and, in that event, would be issued with an identity card as well. The status and entitlements of those who choose not to obtain a British passport, whether they identify as Irish, British or both will remain unchanged.
	However, it is the Government's policy that, eventually, any individual who is resident in the United Kingdom for more than three months should be issued with an identity card, regardless of their nationality. Further primary legislation will need to be approved in Parliament in order to introduce such a compulsory scheme.

Migrant Workers: Bulgaria and Romania

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what controls will be put in place to ensure that Bulgarian and Romanian self-employed workers seeking work in the UK  (a) in the construction industry and  (b) in other sectors meet the criteria of being genuinely self-employed.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 13 December 2007
	We cannot place restrictions on EEA nationals that are genuinely self-employed. However, we will expect Bulgarian and Romanian nationals working in a self-employed capacity to be able to demonstrate that they are genuinely self-employed if they are challenged. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have provided immigration officials with training and guidance to assist with identification of those who are and are not genuinely self-employed, in the construction industry and other sectors. There is ongoing liaison between HMRC and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) to establish how HMRC Status Inspectors can provide further support to IND in determining employment status.
	Where it is established that a Romanian or Bulgarian national is not genuinely self-employed and is therefore working in the UK illegally, the individual will be liable to prosecution. Individuals may be offered the opportunity to discharge their liability to prosecution through the payment of a fixed penalty of £1,000. Employers will face a maximum fine upon conviction of £5,000 per worker.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were held in each prison in Wales on 23 November, broken down by nationality.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of foreign national prisoners held in each prison establishment in Wales can be found in the following table. The data, which are obtained from the prison IT system, are not shown separately by nationality, because the numbers are small and the accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Foreign National prisoners held in Prison Establishments in Wales,  31 December 2006 
			   Number 
			 Cardiff 64 
			 Parc 52 
			 Swansea 28 
			 Usk (Frescoed) 8 
			 Total 152 
			  Note: The data, which are obtained from the prison IT system, are not shown separately because the numbers are small and the accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed.

China: Overseas Aid

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development aid was provided to China in 2005-06.

Gareth Thomas: UK Bilateral Aid to China in the fiscal year 2005-06 was £36.9 million. The full breakdown of Bilateral Aid is published in Table 12.3 of "Statistics on International Development 2001/02-2005/06", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	In addition the UK imputed shares of Multilateral Expenditure to China was £22.5 million in 2004, the last year for which data is available.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Since 1997, DFID has had no involuntary redundancies, but there have been voluntary early departures. The net annual spend by DFID in each year since 1997 is as follows. DFID has no agencies.
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 1997-98 926,268 
			 1998-99 494,903 
			 1999-2000 620,471 
			 2000-01 422,910 
			 2001-02 562,967 
			 2002-03 581,7.08 
			 2003-04 1,639,414 
			 2004-05 1,257,039 
			 2005-06 911,700 
			 2006-07(1) 2,479,193 
			 2007-08(1) 1,422,620 
			 (1) Estimated costs based on expenditure from existing commitments 
		
	
	These costs are based on all early retirees and their ongoing annual costs. They include the initial lump sum cost on departure and the annual compensation payments paid to staff until they qualify for their normal pension at age 60.
	DFID is in the early stages of a new round of voluntary early departures. The closing date for applications is 4 April 2007.

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1673W, on air services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the "other" category for air services between Edinburgh airport and London City airport.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Edinburgh airport and London City airport in 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			  Edinburgh to/from London City 
			  "Other" class category  Number (nearest thousand) 
			 Non-response(1) 20,000 
			 Other ticket types(2) 0 
			 Total 20,000 
			 (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not be categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1674W, on air services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the "other" category for air services between Edinburgh airport and  (a) Luton,  (b) Stansted,  (c) Gatwick,  (d) Heathrow,  (e) Manchester International,  (f) Birmingham International,  (g) Leeds Bradford International and  (h) Nottingham East Midlands airports.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Edinburgh airport and Luton, Stansted, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester International, Birmingham International, Leeds Bradford International and Nottingham East Midlands airports in 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			  Number (nearest thousand) 
			   "Other" class category:  
			  Edinburgh to/from  Non-response( 1)  Other ticket types( 2)  Total 
			 Luton 34,000 0 34,000 
			 Stansted 36,000 0 36,000 
			 London Gatwick 55,000 — 55,000 
			 London Heathrow 151,000 1,000 152,000 
			 Manchester International 32,000 1,000 32,000 
			 Birmingham International 27,000 1,000 29,000 
			 Leeds Bradford International 1,000 0 1,000 
			 Nottingham International 20,000 0 20,000 
			 0 = Nil — = Negligible (less than 500) (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not be categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1673W, on Air Services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the 'Other' category for air services between Dundee airport and  (a) London City airport and  (b) Manchester International airport.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Dundee airport and London City and Manchester airports in 2003 were as follows:
	
		
			  Number (nearest thousand) 
			  "Other" class category:  Dundee to/from London City  Dundee to/from Manchester 
			 Non-response(1) — 0 
			 Other ticket types(2) 0 0 
			 Total — 0 
			 0 = Nil '—' = Negligible (less than 500) (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not be categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2077W, on Air Services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the 'Other' category for air services between Prestwick airport and London Stansted airport.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Prestwick airport and London Stansted airport in 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			  Prestwick to/from Stansted 
			  "Other" class category:  Number (nearest thousand) 
			 Non-response(1) 7,000 
			 Other ticket types(2) 0 
			 Total 7,000 
			 (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1674W, on Air Services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the 'Other' category for air services between Glasgow airport and  (a) London Heathrow,  (b) Manchester International,  (c) Birmingham International,  (d) Leeds Bradford International and  (e) Nottingham East Midlands airports.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Glasgow airport and London Heathrow, Manchester International, Birmingham International, Leeds Bradford International and Nottingham East Midlands airports in 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			  Number (nearest thousand) 
			   "Other" class category:  
			  Glasgow to/from:  Non-response( 1)  Other ticket types( 2)  Total 
			 London Heathrow 66,000 3,000 68,000 
			 Manchester International 3,000 1,000 4,000 
			 Birmingham International 2,000 1,000 3,000 
			 Leeds Bradford International 0 0 0 
			 Nottingham East Midlands 3,000 0 3,000 
			 (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not be categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Air Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2076W, on air services, if he will break down into sub-categories the figures for the 'Other' category for air services between Glasgow airport and  (a) London Gatwick,  (b) London Stansted and  (c) Luton airports.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of "other" class category passengers carried between Glasgow airport and London Gatwick, London Stansted and Luton airports in 2005 were as follows:
	
		
			  "Other" Class Category 
			  Number (nearest thousand) 
			  Glasgow to/from  Non-response( 1)  Other ticket types( 2)  Total 
			 London Gatwick 24,000 4,000 28,000 
			 London Stansted 11,000 1,000 12,000 
			 Luton 8,000 0 8,000 
			 (1) Non-response results from the question not being asked or a passenger refusing to answer. (2) Other ticket types are those tickets that could not be categorised into business or economy and include types of promotional tickets, e.g. two for one.  Source: CAA passenger Survey

Railways: East Anglia

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to evaluate the new east-west rail routes across East Anglia from the east midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department is not aware of any proposals for new east-west rail routes across East Anglia from the . The Department is currently working with Network Rail on the detailed case for Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) funding for the Peterborough to Nuneaton rail freight gauge and capacity enhancement scheme. In conjunction with the separate scheme to "gauge clear" the route between Ipswich and Peterborough, this scheme would complete a second route between the port of Felixstowe and the west coast main line gauge cleared for 9' 6" containers.

Railways: Thames Valley

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions were held between his Department and FGW following representations on the December 2006 timetable for services  (a) to Maidenhead and Twyford and  (b) on the Henley and Bourne End branch lines; and what changes to the proposed services were considered as a result.

Tom Harris: First Great Western ('FGW') carried out a public consultation on its proposed December 2006 timetable in February and March 2006. Following this, the Secretary of State and FGW held discussions about changes to the timetable and consequential amendments to the train service specification in response to the summary of representations prepared by FGW.
	FGW also informed the Secretary of State of the changes it was planning to make to the timetable on 15 January 2007 and the further changes which it is considering making with effect from 20 May 2007.

Railways: Yorkshire and Humberside

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase rail capacity in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport recognises the success of the rail industry in attracting new passengers. There are a number of activities currently under way to quantify future demand in the Yorkshire and Humber region and to deliver a level of service that meets this. The Department is currently producing a regional planning assessment for the region, which will identify the role that the railway needs to play over the next 20 years in supporting the economic growth of the region. At the same time, Network Rail is producing a route utilisation strategy for Yorkshire and Humber, which will focus on improvements that can be made to the existing railway to provide an optimal level of service and capacity.
	In addition to this, the Department is currently producing its high level output specification, which will set out the Department's objectives for the national rail network during the next industry funding period between 2009 and 2014. One of the key issues to be addressed in this period is the provision of sufficient capacity to meet future growth projections for rail travel.
	In addition to these longer term activities, the department works closely with current train operators and other local stakeholders to identify and secure value for money opportunities to provide additional capacity. The introduction by Transpennine Express of its new class 185 fleet has expanded a number of services to three car operation as well as providing local passengers with an improved environment on their services. The Department has also worked closely with Northern Rail and West Yorkshire PTE to secure an additional six class 158 trains for services in west Yorkshire to address passenger growth in this area.

Wrexham-Bidston Railway Line

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the economic effects of the electrification of the Wrexham-Bidston railway line;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the electrification of the Wrexham-Bidston railway line;
	(3)  what discussions he has held with  (a) local authorities and  (b) local transport authorities regarding the electrification of the Wrexham-Bidston railway line;
	(4)  what discussions he has held with counterparts in the Welsh Assembly Government regarding the electrification of the Wrexham-Bidston railway line;
	(5)  what representations he has received regarding the electrification of the Wrexham-Bidston railway line.

Tom Harris: We are committed to working with the Welsh Assembly Government and other partners on the promotion and development of cross-border transport links. Improving connectivity to major employment centres in North East Wales and Cheshire is one of the rail options being evaluated in high level terms by the Wales Rail Planning Assessment. The consortium of north Wales transport authorities has been consulted during work on the Assessment, which is a joint planning study for the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department for Transport.
	I recognise that there is considerable support in North West England and in Wales for improvements to the Wrexham-Bidston line. I welcome the co-operation that is taking place between Merseytravel PTE, English and Welsh transport authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government to examine potential improvements, including electrification. Merseytravel and the Welsh Assembly Government, working with partners, have jointly commissioned Network Rail to undertake a feasibility study of electrification of the line.
	I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and the Assembly Minister on transport matters affecting Wales. Department for Transport officials are keeping in close touch with officials from the Welsh Assembly Government and Merseytravel about the electrification study but it would be premature to speculate on any conclusions.
	Once the outcome of studies is known, and subject to available funding and discussions with interested parties, Merseytravel PTE will consider whether a scheme is suitable to promote for major scheme funding as part of the second Local Transport Plan for Merseyside covering the period 2006-11. The Department for Transport and the Government Office for the North West have regular meetings with Merseytravel and local authorities to discuss implementation of Local Transport Plans.
	A decision to proceed with electrification would be subject to producing a business case with Network Rail and the rail industry, and securing the necessary funding. It would be necessary to show that sufficient extra passenger numbers would be likely to use the electrified service to make it a value for money option. It would be for the authorities in the North West Region to justify such expenditure against other priorities and to secure this via their allocated regional funding.

Childbirth: Leicestershire

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born in NHS maternity units in Leicestershire in each year since 1997.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 2 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about how many babies were born in NHS maternity units in Leicestershire in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (123185)
	There are two NHS maternity units in Leicester Unitary Authority: Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary. In addition there is an NHS midwife-led unit within the boundaries of the current county of Leicestershire: St. Mary's Hospital in Melton Mowbray.
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2005. The following table shows the number of live births in these three units for each year between 1997 and 2005.
	
		
			  Live births in NHS maternity and midwife-led units in Leicester UA and Leicestershire county, 1997 to 2005 
			   Leicester General Hospital (maternity unit)  Leicester Royal Infirmary (maternity unit)  St. Mary's Hospital, Melton Mowbray (midwife-led unit) 
			 1997 3,654 5,508 258 
			 1998 3,538 5,593 221 
			 1999 3,634 5,420 225 
			 2000 3,483 5,244 192 
			 2001 3,299 5,269 190 
			 2002 3,456 5,227 228 
			 2003 3,685 5,135 224 
			 2004 3,831 5,372 230 
			 2005 4,031 5,265 273

General Practitioners: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual income of a GP is; and what it was in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and (c) 2005.

Andy Burnham: The most recent year for which information is available is 2004-05.
	
		
			  Average general practitioner net income (national health service only), Great Britain 
			   Intended average net remuneration/income (£) 
			 1997-98 46,031 
			 2001-02 56,510 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimated average GP net income (all sources), United Kingdom 
			   £ 
			 2004-05 100,000 
		
	
	The concept of intended average net remuneration disappeared with the introduction of the new CMS contract in 2003-04. Information on GP income is now derived from HM Revenue and Customs tax self-assessment database which relates to income from all sources, NHS and private. Information for 2005-06 will not be available until late 2007. The 2004-05 estimate excludes an average of approximately £6,000 per GP in respect of employer's superannuation contributions.

Home Births

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many home births there were in each region of England in each year since 1997; in which area in each year the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest percentage of births took place in the home; and what the percentage figure was in each case.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 2 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about how many home births there were in each region of England in each year since 1997; in which area in each year the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest percentage of births took place in the home; and what the percentage figure was in each case. I am replying in her absence. (122641)
	The attached table shows the number of live births taking place at home in each region of England each year between 1997 and 2005. It also shows the percentage of all live births taking place at home in each region every year. In each of the nine years, the South West had the highest percentage of births taking place at home, while the North East had the lowest.
	
		
			  Live births taking place at home by Government Office Region( 1)  in England, 1997 to 2005 Number of live births at home and number of live births at home as a percentage of all live births 
			   Home births 
			   1997  1998  1999 
			  Government Office Region  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 North East 334 1.1 299 1.0 260 0.9 
			 North West 1,162 1.4 1,038 1.3 1,004 1.3 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 893 1.5 948 1.6 892 1.5 
			 East Midlands 852 1.8 880 1.8 889 1.9 
			 West Midlands 1,029 1.5 947 1.5 896 1.4 
			 Eastern 1,800 2.8 1,761 2.7 1,739 2.8 
			 London 2,579 2.4 2,397 2.3 2,253 2.1 
			 South East 2,893 3.0 2,803 2.9 2,728 2.9 
			 South West 2,050 3.8 2,013 3.7 1,876 3.6 
			 Total England 13,592 2.2 13,086 2.2 12,537 2.1 
		
	
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002 
			  Government Office Region  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 North East 250 0.9 286 1.1 276 1.1 
			 North West 920 1.2 865 1.2 933 1.2 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 981 1.8 845 1.5 873 1.6 
			 East Midlands 859 1.9 812 1.8 912 2.0 
			 West Midlands 836 1.4 858 1.4 805 1.3 
			 Eastern 1,642 2.7 1,609 2.7 1,837 3.1 
			 London 2,190 2.1 2,058 2.0 2,000 1.9 
			 South East 2,581 2.9 2,466 2.8 2,573 2.9 
			 South West 1,828 3.7 1,737 3.6 1,834 3.7 
			 Total England 12,087 2.1 11,536 2.0 12,043 2.1 
		
	
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005 
			  Government Office Region  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 North East 279 1.0 327 1.2 319 1.1 
			 North West 1,085 1.4 1,241 1.5 1,455 1.8 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 951 1.6 1,015 1.7 1,101 1.8 
			 East Midlands 994 2.1 1,080 2.2 1,274 2.6 
			 West Midlands 973 1.5 978 1.5 1,146 1.7 
			 Eastern 1,860 3.0 2,050 3.2 2,318 3.6 
			 London 2,002 1.8 2,034 1.8 2,359 2.0 
			 South East 2,666 2.9 2,831 3.0 3,219 3.4 
			 South West 1,912 3.7 1,949 3.7 2,128 4.0 
			 Total England 12,722 2.2 13,505 2.2 15,319 2.5 
			 (1) Births are assigned to Government Office Region according to the usual residence of the mother at the date of the birth, as stated at registration.  Note: The table excludes a small number of live births occurring in England each year to mothers whose usual residence was outside England and Wales.  Source:  Fertility Analysis Unit, Office for National Statistics

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 27 February 2007
	The costs of early severance and early retirement for the Treasury and the Debt Management Office, its executive agency, for the completed financial years from 1997-98 to date are as follows. An analysis of the costs between voluntary and involuntary schemes could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Estimates of 2007-08 costs are not available.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Treasury  Debt Management Office 
			 1997-98 1,601 n/a 
			 1998-99 1,457 0 
			 1999-2000 1,299 0 
			 2000-01 2,866 0 
			 2001-02 1,276 0 
			 2002-03 1,221 0 
			 2003-04 2,926 518 
			 2004-05 2,178 0 
			 2005-06 766 0 
			  Note: The DMO was formed on 1 April 1998.

EC Enlargement: Immigration

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have come to the UK to reside from  (a) the Czech Republic,  (b) Estonia,  (c) Cyprus,  (d) Latvia,  (e) Lithuania,  (f) Hungary,  (g) Malta,  (h) Poland,  (i) Slovenia,  (j) Slovakia,  (k) Bulgaria and  (l) Romania since the accession to the EU of the country concerned.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 2 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to a reply to your question concerning how many people have come to reside from a) the Czech Republic, b) Estonia, c) Cyprus, d) Latvia, e) Lithuania, f) Hungary, g) Malta, h) Poland, i) Slovenia, j) Slovakia, k) Bulgaria and 1) Romania since the accession to the EU of the country concerned. I am replying in her absence. (124091)
	The Office for National Statistics uses the UN definition of an international migrant as someone who changes their country of usual residence for at least a year so that the country of destination effectively becomes the country of usual residence.
	Total International Migration (TIM) estimates of citizens from these countries since they acceded to the EU are shown in the attached table. The data covers 2004 and 2005 calendar years combined. More recent data are not yet available. Therefore, it is not yet possible to provide post-accession TIM estimates of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens as they only acceded to the European Union on 1 January 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1. Total international migration( 1)  estimates of A10 citizens 2004-05 combined( 2)  United Kingdom 
			  Thousand 
			  Country of citizenship  Inflow  Outflow  Net flow( 3) 
			 Poland 76 (4)4 71 
			 Slovakia 15 (4)2 13 
			 Lithuania 14 (4)2 12 
			 Czech Republic 14 (4)7 7 
			 
			 Other A10(5) 18 6 13 
			 Estonia — — — 
			 Latvia — — — 
			 Hungary — — — 
			 Slovenia — — — 
			 Cyprus — — — 
			 Malta — — — 
			 
			 Total A10 136 21 116 
			 (1) Based mainly on data from the international Passenger Survey. Includes adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so that their migrant status changes; (2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. (2) Calendar years 2004 and 2005 combined. Estimates are based on the whole of 2004 and so may include some migration prior to the date of accession on 1 May 2004. (3) The net flow is the difference between inflows and outflows. (4) Estimates are not statistically robust (5) Neither the inflow or outflow estimates for Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta are sufficiently robust to be shown separately.  Note: Figures have been rounded independently and may not add to totals.

Life Expectancy

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average life expectancy was in  (a) the UK,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) Ribble Valley in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 2 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average life expectancy was in (a) the UK, (b) Lancashire and (c) Ribble Valley in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.I am replying in her absence. (124307)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three year rolling averages, for the UK, government office regions and local authorities. The attached table provides the period life expectancy at birth for men and women in (a) the UK, (b) the North West government office region, which includes the county of Lancashire, and {c) Ribble Valley local authority district, in (i) 1996-98 and (ii) 2003-05 (the latest period available).
	
		
			  Table 1: period life expectancy at birth( 1) , UK, North West government office region, Ribble Valley local authority district, 1996-98 and 2003-05( 2,3) 
			  Years of life 
			   Male  Female 
			  Year( 3)  Life expectancy  95 per cent. confidence interval( 4)  Life expectancy  95 per cent. confidence interval( 4) 
			  UK 
			 1996-98 74.5 — 79.6 — 
			 2003-05 76.6 — 80.9 — 
			  
			  North West government office region
			 1996-98 73.4 (73.3 -73.5) 78.5 (78.4 -78.6) 
			 2003-05 75.4 (75.3 -75.5) 79.9 (79.8 -80.0) 
			  
			  Ribble Valley local authority district
			 1996-98 75.2 (74.1 -76.2) 79.8 (78.9 -80.7) 
			 2003-05 77.4 (76.5 -78.4) 82.1 (81.3 -83.0) 
			 (1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. (2) Using government office region and local authority boundaries as of 2006 for all the years shown. (3) Three year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates. (4) Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence interval around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. The confidence interval for life expectancy for the UK as a whole is less than 0.1 years.

Ministerial Travel

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many miles were travelled by his Department's  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials on Government business by (i) air, (ii) rail and (iii) road in 2006.

John Healey: The Treasury does not keep records of travel by length of journey, so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code, Travel by Ministers and the Civil Service Management Code. The Treasury has and encourages the use of video conferencing and telephone conferencing facilities as an alternative to travel to meetings. Since April 2006, the Treasury has contributed to the carbon offsetting scheme run by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to offset ministerial and official air travel.

Australia: New Zealand

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) purpose and  (b) expected cost is of the Minister for Culture's forthcoming visit to Australia and New Zealand.

David Lammy: I was invited by the New Zealand Government to undertake a range of cultural engagements of shared interest to our two countries which included meetings with the New Zealand Prime Minister and Minister for Culture as well the Chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The programme also included a keynote address at the New Zealand Public Libraries Summit.
	In Melbourne I was to meet the Victoria Minister for the Arts and give a keynote speech at the Victoria State Library. The Sydney programme included a meeting with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs to discuss the repatriation of aboriginal human remains and work related to the 2012 Olympics.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	The visit has since been cancelled due to parliamentary business. My keynote speech to the New Zealand Public Libraries Summit was subsequently delivered by podcast. I hope to reschedule the meeting with the Chair of UNESCO. The Prime Minister wrote to the Prime Minister of New Zealand announcing Government funding towards the work of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
	The total cost to the public purse of the cancelled visit was £722.

Departments: Secondment

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees her Department has on secondment to outside organisations, broken down by salary grade.

David Lammy: The number of employees Department for Culture, Media and Sport has on secondment to outside organisations, broken down by grade, is set out in the table. These figures are as at 31 January 2007.
	
		
			  Secondments Out 
			   Number 
			 SCS 2 
			 Grade A (U) 3 
			 Grade A 5 
			 Grade B 7 
			 Grade C 6 
			 Grade D 0

Public Libraries: Internet

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what guidance her Department issues to those local authorities which charge for internet access from People's Network computers in public libraries on the model of charging used;
	(2)  what advice her Department has issued to local authorities in determining whether to charge for internet access from People's Network computers in public libraries;
	(3)  what social inclusion criteria guidance her Department has issued to local authorities that charge for internet access from People's Network computers in public libraries.

David Lammy: When the People's Network was introduced, the intention was that access should be provided free universally at point of use. At the Network's launch (2002), the Museums Libraries and Archives Council issued guidance requiring that any authority deciding to charge for access should demonstrate that a social inclusion commitment would be met before any funds were released. The majority of the 149 library authorities did not charge for provision of access to the internet but the small number of local authorities which thought they might, reported that there would usually be free or concessionary access for groups including people with disabilities and the unemployed.
	However, the decision whether or not to charge for this access rests with individual local authorities and neither guidance on whether to charge, nor models for charging is issued by DCMS.

Public Libraries: Internet

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of local authorities which charge local residents for internet access from People's Network computers in public libraries.

David Lammy: The majority of the 149 library authorities do not charge for public access to the People's Network. DCMS are aware that 25 local authorities charge for access, they are the following: Barnet, Bath and North East Somerset, Buckinghamshire, Camden, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Darlington, Devon, Enfield, Luton, Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Peterborough, Rutland, Staffordshire, Tameside, Torbay, Trafford, West Sussex, and Wirral. Many of these authorities offer free internet access for a period each day or free or concessionary access for groups typically including people with a disability and the unemployed.

Public Libraries: Internet

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been provided from the public purse for the provision of the People's Network programme to  (a) Bath and North East Somerset,  (b) South Gloucestershire,  (c) Cornwall,  (d) Torbay and  (e) Devon councils since 2002.

David Lammy: No direct Government funding was made available for the provision of the People's Network programme. The People's Network was funded by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) (now the Big Lottery Fund). Additional funding was made available by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to supplement infrastructure roll-out in the most economically and socially deprived areas of the UK.
	Funding made available since 2002 for the authorities specified was as follows:
	
		
			  NOF funding 
			   Amount (£) 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 286,596 
			 South Gloucestershire 341,013 
			 Cornwall 396,288 
			 Torbay 141,403 
			 Devon 1,306,008

Public Libraries: Internet

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of those local authorities which only allow full internet access from People's Network computers in public libraries through the levy of a fee which do so without any free time being made available.

David Lammy: None. This data is not held centrally.

Bereavement Benefit

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the possible effect of the centralising of Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres on the time taken to process bereavement benefit claims; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average time taken was to process bereavement benefit claims in each month since January 2006, broken down by region.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 2 March 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what assessment he has made of the possible effect of the centralising of Jobcentre Plus Benefit Delivery Centres on the time taken to process bereavement benefit claims; and what the average time taken was to process bereavement benefit claims in each month since January 2006, broken down by region.
	Bereavement Benefit is currently processed in 9 of the 11 Jobcentre Plus regions. The South East region processes Bereavement Benefit on behalf of London and the West Midlands. Centralising this work has not caused any decline in the time taken to process Bereavement Benefit. I have provided the information you requested in the attached table which shows that across the board we are performing within the target clearance times of 35 days. The National average for the period from January 2006 is 14.8 days.
	Centralisation has improved our ability to meet our customers needs so we have
	decided to further centralise Bereavement Benefit over the next couple of years. This will enable us to introduce quality improvements, concentrate expertise, and standardise delivery as well as make efficiency savings.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		
			  Bereavement Benefit Average Actual Clearance Times 
			  Number of days 
			   January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 East Midlands 9.42 9.49 8.23 7.9 8.38 8.22 
			 East of England 10.42 11.83 9.53 9.97 10.14 9.9 
			 London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North East 7.65 9.51 7.38 8.07 8.02 9.8 
			 North West 15.32 15.82 16.68 14.62 14.05 14.78 
			 Scotland 13.56 12.79 15.05 12.6 14.93 15.22 
			 South East 19.92 17.3 21 16.06 18.11 18.18 
			 South West 16.81 17.64 15.56 14.13 14.5 14.33 
			 Wales 19.7 26.29 31.82 31.39 36.16 34.63 
			 West Midlands 9.47 7.81 7.98 10.74 11.4 13.45 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 13.06 14.82 13.74 13.31 12.34 14.23 
			 National 14.07 14.13 14.96 12.93 14.5 15.25 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of days 
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 East Midlands 7.32 8.66 9.38 9.34 7.96 7.69 
			 East of England 9.81 10.27 19.04 22.99 27.65 27.36 
			 London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North East 8.48 8.62 9.6 9.3 8.88 8.71 
			 North West 14.35 12.97 12.99 13.83 14.89 13.71 
			 Scotland 13.84 15.87 13.65 12.17 16.24 13.96 
			 South East 27.19 18.76 15.3 19.74 17.1 17.31 
			 South West 13.43 12.27 13.09 13.32 11.56 10.91 
			 Wales 35.47 25.95 24.55 21.92 21.26 22.34 
			 West Midlands 9.23 14.73 0 0 0 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 15.31 12.3 10.2 11.47 9.66 9.58 
			 National 16.96 14.85 13.87 15.8 15.23 15.12

Disability Living Allowance

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disability living allowance claimants have had  (a) their claims refused and  (b) their entitlements reduced as a result of medical reports from (i) their GPs and (ii) other medical professionals involved in their care; and how many of these have had such decisions overturned on appeal.

Anne McGuire: Decision makers award or refuse benefits after consideration of all the relevant evidence. Medical reports form only part of that evidence. The most recent available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability Living Allowance: Cases rejected or reduced following medical evidence( 1) : 10 months April 2006 to January 2007. 
			   Number 
			 Rejected 142,561 
			 Reduced on reconsideration 275 
			 Reduced on renewal 11,027 
			 Reduced on supersession, including renewal supersession 710 
			 (1) "Medical evidence" includes factual reports from GP, hospital or consultant, or a report from an examining medical practitioner.. 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability Living Allowance: Appeal cases including a favourable decision to the appellant( 1) : 10 months April 2006 to January 2007 
			   Number 
			 Appeal allowed 18,056 
			 Award increased 6,503 
			 Award varied 528 
			 (1 )Information is not available to track an appeal to the originating event, nor is information available on what evidence was used to amend or overturn the decision

Electricity Generation: Pollution Control

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with stakeholders about the grid electricity carbon projections up to 2050.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The Government are taking forward development of the policy proposals set out in the energy review report. Formal and informal discussions with stakeholders have been a key part of informing the consulting processes launched since that report. The issues on which we are consulting summaries of stakeholders engagement activities and formal stakeholder responses can be found on the DTI website at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/page31995.html

Flexible Working

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many men with child care responsibilities have requested flexible working arrangements in his Department since 6 April 2006; and what estimate he has made of the number of such men making such requests in England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All requests for flexible working arrangements in the DTI are handled at the local line management level. It would entail disproportionate costs to provide this data.
	Figures are not available for the number of men with child care responsibilities requesting flexible working arrangements in England since 6 April 2006. However, the third work-life balance employee survey, conducted on DTI's behalf in early 2006, found that, in the previous two years, 12 per cent. of male employees in Great Britain with dependent children had approached their current employer to make a request to change how they regularly work. Separate figures are not available for England.

Minister for London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) official visits,  (b) meetings with (i) hon. Members, (ii) members of the public, (iii) Greater London Assembly members, (iv) local councillors and (v) representatives of voluntary organisations (A) he and (B) his predecessors undertook as Minister for London in each of the last 10 years, broken down by month.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Minister for London has in the period from May 2006 to February 2007 (period to date, based in DTI) carried out the following visits and meetings. Information prior to May 2006 is not held centrally and can be provided at only disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			   May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February 
			 Official visits including receptions/speeches: 1 2 — 1 — 2 3 2 — 1 
			
			 Meeting with:   
			 i) hon. Members — — — — — — — — (1)4 — 
			 ii) Members of public — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			 iii) GLA members/ London councils/ Mayor/London councillors — 2 3 — 1 1 — — 2 — 
			 iv) Representatives of voluntary organisations(2) 2 2 1 1 — — 1 — 1 2 
			 (1) Relating to GLA Bill (2) Including not for profit business organisations

Afghanistan

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests for additional equipment for UK forces in Afghanistan have been made by  (a) UK commanders in Afghanistan and  (b) UK commanders in the UK for each month since January 2006; what has been the UK Government's response to each such request; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: pursuant to the reply, 8 February 2007, Official Report, c. 1070-71W
	the number of Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) was incorrect. Since the start of planning for deployment into southern Afghanistan, some 150 UORS have been approved, of which 59 have already been delivered. These figures are correct as at 21 February 2007.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on military training in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Military training encompasses activity which ranges from low-level individual skills to multi-national, joint and combined exercises. It includes training conducted to convert personnel onto new equipment, educational programmes and personal development amongst a number of other strands. This training is delivered in many ways by different agencies across Defence using a variety of methodologies and media from dedicated specialist training establishments and distributed delivery to web-based self study.
	The whole cost of this training is not captured centrally and could be done so only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Mental Health

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 625-66W, on Mental Health, how many occupational psychologists his Department employs; where they are based; how many of them are uniformed; and what assessment he has made of the number required.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence currently has 29 occupational psychologist posts, 24 of which are currently filled (10 chartered occupational psychologists and 14 practitioners in training). One is based with the Royal Navy, 10 with the Army, eight with the RAF, three in the MOD Headquarters, one at the Defence Leadership and Management Centre and one seconded to dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), an Executive agency. The five currently vacant posts are temporary vacancies and are expected to be filled in the near future. Dstl itself employs a further five occupational psychologists.
	None of the occupational psychologists is uniformed.
	Assessments of the numbers of occupational psychologists required to meet the Ministry of Defence business needs are made by the separate departmental Top Level Budget (TLB) areas, and the 29 posts are currently sufficient to meet these needs.

Service Personnel: Medical Conditions

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen were assessed  (a) in theatre and  (b) on return from service in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan as having traumatic brain injury in each year since 2003.

Derek Twigg: Full historic data relating to such injuries are not held centrally, and could be established only by examining the personal medical files of every Service man and woman. This would require the permission of all individuals.
	However, records for the year 2006 held by the Aeromedical Evacuation Control Cell at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) lists categories of injuries suffered by medically evacuated personnel received at University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHBFT's) Selly Oak hospital, which is the main receiving hospital for our casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq. These data show that for the calendar year 2006 the following numbers of injured personnel with Neurosurgical injuries have been treated at Selly Oak hospital, the majority of which will have been serious head injuries, including traumatic brain injury.
	
		
			  Neurosurgery: 2006 
			   Operational 
			   Iraq  Afghanistan 
			 Listed 7 1 
			 Non-Listed 4 4 
			 Total 16 
		
	
	Patients whose condition is classed as 'listed' include Seriously Ill (SI) and Very Seriously Ill (VSI). All other patients are 'non-listed'.
	"Seriously ill/Injured/Wounded" or SI is the definition we use where the patient's condition is of such severity that there is cause for immediate concern, but there is no imminent danger to life or reason.
	"Very Seriously Ill/Injured/bounded" or VSI is the definition we use where the illness or injury is of such severity that life or reason is imminently endangered.

Children: Day Care

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department spent on  (a) Sure Start,  (b) children's centres,  (c) nursery provision and  (d) childminder networks in Cumbria in each year between 2001 and 2004.

Beverley Hughes: The information available on outturn for Cumbria is shown in the table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  (a) Total Sure Start resource and capital expenditure n/a n/a 4.4 6 8.3 
			   
			  (b) Of which: Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) / Children's Centres 1.4 2.4 3.5 4. 1 4. 8 
			   
			  (c) Under fives 14 13.6 14.7 22.1 22.1 
			   
			  (d) Childminder networks n/a n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			  Notes:  (a) Source is audit returns from the local authority and the individual SSLPs. Audited expenditure is not available for 2000-01 and 2001-02.  (b) Children's Centres expenditure starts from 2003-04. SSLPs are included as all those in Cumbria have converted to Children's Centres.  (c) Over the 2001-05 period, funding for nursery and pre-school education has been provided through a mixture of nursery education grant and Education Standard Spending Assessment (SSA), up to 2002-03, and Education Formula Spending (EPS), from 2003-04. The 2002-03 and 2003-04 figures are not directly comparable because the coverage of the SSA and EPS differ.  (d) Expenditure within General Sure Start Grant on creation of childminder networks can only be separately identified in 2003-04.

Class Sizes: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools was in (i) Ribble Valley constituency and (ii) Lancashire in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is shown in the table.
	Lancashire local authority area was subject to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in April 1998.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools: average class size( 1) 
			  Position in January each year 
			   Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency  Lancashire local authority area( 2)  Lancashire local authority area( 3)  Blackburn with Darwin local authority area( 3)  Blackpool local authority area( 3) 
			   Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary 
			 1997 29.1 22.3 28.8 22.5 — — — — — — 
			 1998 29.0 22.4 28.9 22.5 — — — — — — 
			 1999 28.1 22.3 — — 28.2 22.4 29.0 22.2 30.0 24.1 
			 2000 27.8 22.3 — — 27.7 22.7 28.8 23.0 29.4 23.8 
			 2001 27.7 22.4 — — 27.3 22.6 28.1 22.2 28.3 23.6 
			 2002 27.0 22.3 — — 26.7 22.4 27.2 23.0 27.9 24.2 
			 2003 27.1 22.3 — — 26.5 22.5 26.9 22.5 27.6 23.9 
			 2004 27.0 22.9 — — 26.4 22.6 26.7 22.7 27.3 23.3 
			 2005 26.5 22.8 — — 26.3 22.2 27.1 22.2 27.2 22.6 
			 2006 27.3 22.4 — — 26.5 21.8 27.4 22.3 27.1 22.3 
			 (1) Classes as taught by one teacher during a single selected period on the day of the census in January. (2) Before Local Government Reorganisation (3) After Local Government Reorganisation.  Source: Schools Census

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of students gained  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) five GCSEs of each grade in each year since 1996; how many gained no GCSEs; and how many gained five or more GCSEs of which one was (i) mathematics and (ii) English.

Jim Knight: holding answer 23 February 2007
	The information requested can only be provided within the deadline at a disproportionate cost. The following table shows the number and percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4(1) achieving the requested information for 2006(2).
	(1) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year.
	(2) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalent achievements for 2005/06( 2)  for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4( 1) 
			  GCSEs and equivalents  Number  Percentage 
			 OA*-C 127,615 19.8 
			 1+A*-C 515,790 79.9 
			 2+ A*-C 472,168 73.1 
			 3+ A*-C 441,409 68.3 
			 4+ A*-C 415,697 64.4 
			 5+ A*-C 382,577 59.2 
			 5+ A*-C including English 341,969 52.9 
			 5+ A*-C including mathematics 318,886 49.4 
			 OA*-G 23,452 3.6 
			 1+A*-G 623,382 96.5 
			 2+ A*-G 613,690 95.0 
			 3+ A*-G 605,275 93.7 
			 4+ A*-G 596,100 92.3 
			 5+ A*-G 584,605 90.5 
			 + A*-G including English 579,170 89.7 
			 5+ A*-G including mathematics 571,433 88.5 
			 (1) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year. (2) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Assessing Pupils Progress projects in English and mathematics referred to in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority review of the secondary curriculum.

Jim Knight: APP (Assessing Pupil Progress) materials are designed to secure teachers' summative assessment judgements of pupil progress in Key Stage 3.
	APP materials for Reading and Writing were distributed to all secondary schools in 2006; Speaking and Listening materials will be distributed in 2007. Maths APP materials will be distributed to schools in the next few weeks.
	The content of these materials has been developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) with input from other experts, and disseminated through the secondary national strategies. The QCA are currently working on parallel materials for Science and for foundation subjects.
	The English and Maths APP materials were both piloted for two years under the title MPP (Monitoring Pupil Progress) before being rolled out to all schools. The Department is also piloting comparable materials for primary schools, with a view to rolling them out nationally in 2008.
	These materials are at the heart of our approach to Assessment for Learning (AfL), which is
	"...the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there." (Assessment Reform Group, 2002).
	We are committed to improving schools use of pupil assessment data to inform more personalised learning, and these approaches will be tested as part of the 'Making Good Progress' pilots announced recently. The APR materials—as well as other guidance on some of the classroom techniques that underpin AfL, such as peer assessment and objective-setting—can be found on the Standards website at:
	www.standards.dfes.gov.uk.

Aggregates Levy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money generated from the Aggregates Levy Fund was spent on heritage projects in each year of its existence; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The levy on aggregate extraction was introduced in April 2002; part of the money raised by the levy finances the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). The aim of ALSF is to address the environmental and social costs of aggregate extraction through delivery of environmental improvements, minimising the demand for primary aggregates and reducing the local effects of aggregate extraction.
	The following table outlines the ALSF money that has been spent on heritage projects in each year since 2002.
	
		
			  ALSF money spent on heritage projects 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 5,192,340 
			 2003-04 4,134,830 
			 2004-05 4,255,328 
			 2005-06 4,093,488

Avian Influenza

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the remit is of the inquiry by his Department into the recent events at Bernard Matthews at Holton in Suffolk; and how the  (a) proceedings and  (b) conclusions of the inquiry will be communicated to the public.

Ben Bradshaw: The final Food Standards Agency-led report into the possible transmission of the H5N1 avian influenza virus from imported Hungarian turkey meat to the UK was published on February 16. It concluded that there is no evidence that any meat has entered the UK food chain from the restricted zones in Hungary and that all food importing and processing activities undertaken were in line with European Commission law. It also found that the risk to workers in around the Bernard Mathews food plant, and by other routes was very low.
	Defra's interim epidemiological report, published on February 16, concluded that the importation of poultry products via Hungary is "currently the most plausible" route of transmission. This investigation is still ongoing. All possible routes of infection are being investigated and we have not yet been able to rule out any method of introduction. A full report will be published on the Defra website when the investigation is complete. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of the House. It is likely that this will take a further few weeks.

Avian Influenza

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how avian influenza was spread from one shed to others at Bernard Matthews' Holton plant; and what the time period was between first identification of the virus and later identification in other sheds.

Ben Bradshaw: Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed on the Bernard Matthew's Holton plant on 3 February. All birds on the plant were culled between 17:30 on 3 February and 20:45 on 5 February.
	Samples were taken from the birds in all 21 sheds when they were culled. The presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 infection, of the Asian lineage, was confirmed in three other sheds on 9 February. On-site epidemiological investigations indicate that these sheds might have become infected as a result of a reduction of biosecurity measures following the initial laboratory results from the clinically affected birds. Staff previously assigned to groups of other sheds were used for the depopulation of the affected house. Personnel movements between the sheds is therefore a possible means of dissemination.
	This investigation is still ongoing. A full report will be published on the Defra website when the investigation is complete. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of the House. It is likely that this will take a few weeks yet.

Avian Influenza

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what biosecurity methods are in operation at Holton; and what methods are in use at other poultry units in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The Holton site comprises a turkey finishing unit, a slaughterhouse, and two processing plants. There are numerous controls throughout the various stages of production and processing, with additional measures in place during an outbreak. These measures include the cleansing of equipment, transport and people, and separation of animal and meat products. Biosecurity measures in place at the Holton finishing unit included:
	(i) disinfection of feed and other delivery lorries on entry and departure
	(ii) staff working in the finishing units were separate from those in the slaughterhouse and processing units and were restricted to sheds for which they were responsible
	(iii) staff were required to shower on entry to the site and change footwear on entry to any particular House of Commons
	(iv) and staff were not allowed to keep their own poultry.
	DEFRA does not collect such information from other poultry units although these are the kind of measures that owners and managers of the larger operations, such as those at the Holton site, would adopt. We are, however, not aware of many other finishing units in the UK which have a processing factory located as near as at the Holton site. Other finishing units, therefore, may have a less complex biosecurity regime to protect the health of the birds.
	Local authorities, and the Meat Hygiene Service enforce compliance with animal health, welfare and public health legislation. Information has been published in the two reports into this outbreak (available from the Library of the House) and a final epidemiological report is yet to be published.

Avian Influenza

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the birds recently slaughtered having been infected with avian influenza were transported from Suffolk to Staffordshire to be destroyed.

Ben Bradshaw: The rendering plant in Staffordshire was chosen as it was the nearest plant to the H5N1 outbreak that had the necessary biosecurity measures in place to deal with a case of this kind, and also had the capacity to deal with the number of birds.
	Strict biosecurity measures are in place for the transportation of animals culled for disease control purposes. The carcases were transported in specialist leak-proof lorries, fully covered with securely fixed top covers or tarpaulins.
	A number of measures were taken prior to the lorries leaving the infected premises to ensure that trucks were not overfilled and leaks did not occur. Prior to use, each vehicle is leak tested and visually inspected for defects. Before being licensed* off the site, the external surfaces of the vehicle were sprayed down with an approved disinfectant as a further biosecurity measure. Each batch of trucks was also accompanied by an escort to ensure that the trucks did not leak, that material did not fall from the vehicle and that, in the unlikely event of an accident or incident involving the vehicle, measures could be taken to protect human and animal health and the environment.
	Drivers carried a certificate of leak-testing and a transport incident record card which detailed the actions to be taken in the event of an accident or incident.

Dogs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will ensure that legally docked working dogs continue to be allowed to take part in agility, working trials and obedience shows where the public is admitted on the payment of a fee;
	(2)  if he will ensure that dogs with tails that have been shortened or amputated for medical reasons may continue to be shown at all events.

Ben Bradshaw: There will be a ban on the showing of docked dogs at events to which members of the public are admitted on payment of a fee. However, this ban does not apply to dogs shown for the purpose of demonstrating their working ability.
	Any dog which has had all or part of its tail removed after the commencement date(1) will be banned from being shown at events to which members of the public are admitted on payment of a fee. This will close a potential loophole in the law.

Council Tax: Greater London

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) average per dwelling and  (b) average Band D council tax was in (i) two-tier areas, (ii) London boroughs, (iii) metropolitan areas and (iv) unitary areas in (A) 1997-98 and (B) 2006-07.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is tin the following table. Average council tax per dwelling is not available for 1997-98:
	
		
			   Average B and D council tax (1997-98)  Average B and D council tax (2006-07)  Average council tax per dwelling (2006-07) 
			  (i) Two-tier areas 667 1,303 1,139 
			  (ii) London boroughs 651 1,214 1,128 
			  (iii) Metropolitan districts 779 1,237 884 
			  (iv) Unitary authorities 698 1,251 982 
			  Source: BR and CTB1 returns

Islam

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to tackle Islamic extremism.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The Government remain strongly committed to working with Muslim communities to tackle violent extremism. A security response alone however will not be sufficient to win hearts and minds. We have made it clear that it is not good enough to merely sit on the sidelines or pay lip service to fighting extremism. We are working with those organisations that are taking a proactive leadership role in tackling extremism and defending our shared values, such as the British Muslim Forum and Sufi Muslim Council and others.
	On Monday 26 February 2007, Ruth Kelly set out in more detail our approach towards preventing extremism in her speech to the British Muslim Forum. The text of this speech can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l508163

Entry Clearances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which 50 countries the most work permit visas were issued from an overseas mission in 2005-06.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the following table:
	
		
			  Top 50 countries that issued UK work permit visas during 2005-06 
			  Country  Received  Issued  Refused  Issue rate (%) 
			 India 23,315 22,032 1,261 94 
			 United States 6,752 6,652 57 99 
			 Bangladesh 621 3,038 218 489 
			 China 3,305 2,880 450 87 
			 South Africa 2,893 2,800 93 97 
			 Australia 2,518 2,497 2 99 
			 Philippines 2,692 2,463 221 91 
			 Japan 1,925 1,903 2 99 
			 Pakistan 2,455 1,809 918 74 
			 Ukraine 1,701 1,653 47 97 
			 Romania 1,731 1,649 77 95 
			 Bulgaria 1,691 1,648 55 97 
			 Russian Federation 1,175 1,149 34 98 
			 Canada 1,051 1,002 16 95 
			 Malaysia 725 683 66 94 
			 Thailand 759 640 95 84 
			 New Zealand 628 609 4 97 
			 Singapore 618 587 17 95 
			 France 599 552 30 92 
			 Korea 568 538 25 95 
			 Jamaica 633 524 100 83 
			 United Arab Emirates 503 502 7 100 
			 Sri Lanka 535 469 59 88 
			 Turkey 477 461 26 97 
			 Belarus 409 398 6 97 
			 Brazil 394 380 9 96 
			 Germany 399 374 18 94 
			 Israel 397 373 17 94 
			 Moldova 454 373 79 82 
			 Nigeria 470 338 137 72 
			 Zimbabwe 363 321 44 88 
			 Saudi Arabia 329 308 13 94 
			 Cuba 291 291 0 100 
			 Ghana 393 274 127 70 
			 Netherlands 259 246 3 95 
			 Egypt 237 237 1 100 
			 Kenya 286 232 45 81 
			 Irish Republic 249 229 14 92 
			 Mexico 184 183 0 99 
			 Colombia 221 178 43 81 
			 Indonesia 186 174 17 94 
			 Botswana 151 152 0 101 
			 Lebanon 148 140 5 95 
			 Spain 141 137 1 97 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 135 135 0 100 
			 Yugoslavia 131 131 0 100 
			 Senegal 138 130 0 94 
			 Switzerland 130 128 0 98 
			 Argentina 127 126 1 99 
			 Mauritius 114 118 1 104 
			  Notes:  If applications issued and refused do not equal the total of applications received, it is usually for the following reasons: 1. Applications can be carried forward from one year to another before being resolved. 2. There may be instances of appeals received prior to 2005-06, however granted during 2005-06, which will be reflected in the issue figure. 3. Applications can also be referred to the Home Office for a decision to be taken, or for further inquiries to be carried out, or for sponsors to be interviewed. In these circumstances, delays can and do occur between the application being received and a decision being taken.  Source:  Central Reference System (CRS) 20 February 2007 
		
	
	I would like to draw the hon. Member's attention to the footnote attached to the list, especially in the case of our High Commission in Dhaka, where the discrepancies in the figures for the year 2005-06 can be accounted for by the fact that no new Hospitality Sector Based Scheme applications were received after 31 July 2005.
	However during the year 2005-06 our High Commission in Dhaka continued to deal with 3,000 plus cases that had been decided at appeal following refusal in 2003-04. I hope this clarifies these statistics.

Iran: Detainees

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy is on the treatment of Iranian nationals captured while fighting as insurgents against British troops in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	In Afghanistan, the UK policy is that any individual detained by ISAF forces should be transferred to the Afghan authorities at the first opportunity and within 96 hours, or released.
	In Iraq, following the detention of any individual by multi national forces-Iraq, a decision will be made to either release the individual, transfer him to the Iraqi judicial system (where criminal evidence exists), or to intern him if this is deemed necessary for imperative reasons of security, as permitted under UNSCR 1723. This decision is based on an assessment of the threat posed by the individual and is not related to his nationality.
	All new UK internees have their cases reviewed by the Divisional Internment Review Committee no later than 48 hours after they are apprehended, and then every 28 days thereafter. Cases are also reviewed by the Combined Review and Release Board, a joint UK-Iraqi board, every three months. Individuals held for 18 months have their cases referred to the Joint Detention Committee which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Maliki and the Commander Multi-National Force Iraq.

Latin America

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the UK Public Strategy Paper on Latin America; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, plans to launch the paper in the next few weeks.